1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a digital broadcast receiver and, more particularly, to a digital broadcast receiver and broadcast data display method wherein multi-channel visual images are simultaneously displayed to support easy channel selection and switching.
2. Description of the Related Art
In digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB), various multimedia signals including audios and videos are digitally modulated and delivered to users. Particularly, users in motion can receive various multimedia programs through portable personal or in-vehicle receivers equipped with an omni directional receiving antenna.
Advances in memories capable of storing vast amounts of digital multimedia data such as moving pictures and music videos, and popularization of mobile communication terminals, have enabled recent development and commercialization of mobile communication terminals having DMB reception capabilities, for example DMB phones. While in motion, users can watch or listen to DMB programs through DMB phones.
When a user receiving DMB desires to obtain information on channels other than the current reception channel or desires to switch the current reception channel to a different channel, the user may have to scan all available channels in sequence. In addition, because information on broadcast programs or channels is provided as text-based information including channel names and associated program schedules, the user may have difficulty in intuitively understanding program guide information of a particular channel.
To solve the above problem, an image-based broadcast information providing method has recently been developed. In this image-based method, visual images are pre-assigned to corresponding programs on individual channels or visual images are extracted on demand from video broadcasts on individual channels, to provide program information on a particular channel using the prepared visual images.
However, in such a conventional image-based approach, program information is provided using a fixed image for each program on a channel. Thus, program information that changes with the passage of time cannot be provided. Because up-to-date image information regarding broadcast programs of individual channels cannot be obtained, the user cannot utilize up-to-date image information to select a desired channel.